Thomas Kuruvila is better known for his role as the young son of Sakhavu D. K. Antony (Murali) in the 1990 blockbuster Lal Salam.
The movie, directed by Venu Nagavally, ends with Nettooran (Mohanlal), who stands along with the child beside the grave of D.K., saying that ‘this child will become a communist.’
But, three decades after the movie was released, the young boy in the movie has decided to follow his real father T.T. Kuruvila, a Congress leader, to become the party’s candidate in Vazhicherry ward of the Alappuzha municipality.
“In the movie, I played the role of the son of a communist. But in real life I am associated with the Congress party. My father was a former councillor and when the elections came the party wanted to field him from Vazhicherry. After he informed his reluctance in contesting polls, the party put its faith in me,” Mr. Thomas says. Thomas who also acted in a few other films and advertisements is up against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate and incumbent Bindhu Thomas of the KC (M) (Jose faction).
“This is the first time I am engaged in an electoral battle. A lot of people know me as a child artist. But I am seeking votes by promising to find solutions to some of the vexing problems such as drinking water issues, canal pollution and so on being faced by the people of Vazhicherry. Everywhere I go in the ward, I can say that the response is positive,” he says.
In, 2015, Ms. Bindu of the KC (M), who had then contested as a UDF candidate defeated the LDF candidate Raichal of the CPI (M) in Vazhicherry.
The film Lal Salam is based on the life of comrades Varghese Vaidyan , T. V. Thomas and K.R. Gowri.
Mr. Thomas was selected to the role as Cherian Kalpakavadi who wrote the story is a relative of his. Apart from him, other family members too played roles in the film.